As Venezuela confronts one of the most turbulent periods in its recent history, the government and its people struggle to hold on to democracy and to a cohesive society. Jonathan Wheatley reports in this supplement.
Category: Regions
Lowering Barriers to Entry
There are small signs that Mexico’s competition authorities are beginning to stand up to the rich and powerful bosses who have defied control for years. But the regulators have a hard battle ahead of them.
Tending Both Sides of the Budget
Jesús Bermúdez, Venezuela’s deputy finance minister, says the government has assembled a coherent plan to attack one of the country’s most serious economic weaknesses, its deteriorating […]
The Battle to Stay Afloat
Companies in Venezuela’s non-oil sector have had a hard time staying in business because domestic demand is weak and a strong bolivar shut them out of export markets.
CAF Cultivates the Europeans
The multilateral bank that serves impoverished Andean economies received a warm reception for its long term bond issue from wary European investors.
MarketWatch
Divergent Paths Interest rates in Mexico and Chile are at historical lows, in spite of the growing uncertainty afflicting most of the region. Chile is located next door to Argentina, […]
Making A Jamaican Statement
Canadian mutual fund magnate Michael Lee-Chin recently expanded his empire with the purchase of Jamaica?s largest bank. He plans to use National Commerical Bank?s 50 branches to distribute every conceivable financial product.
An Intercontinental Mix
Cemex, the Mexican cement company, is a global player that has acquired competitors on five continents. But the markets are carefully watching Cemex?s Asian expansion, worried that it might now be overextending itself.
Fighting on All Fronts
As Secretary of Mexico?s Ministry of Comptrollership and Administrative Development, Francisco Barrio Terrazas is the country?s anti-corruption czar. His job, and that of his office, is to stamp out deep-rooted government corruption and promote financial transparency and accountability in all public institutions. Here Barrio describes Mexico?s multi-pronged attack on dishonesty and fraud in government, and acknowledges that a prolonged and relentless effort is necessary to alter the course of decades of corruption.
No Bells and Whistles Needed
Riding on the tails of Mexico?s freshly upgraded credit rating, Grupo Televisa, the Spanish-language television broadcaster, was able to raise $300 million with 30-year plain vanilla bond in the international market.
